Annual Teachers, Officers Basketball Game Helps Charity

Police officers and teachers donned their basketball shorts and sneakers Wednesday for a good cause and a little bit of fun.

During the third annual Jamestown Police Department vs. Jamestown Teachers charity basketball game, the players from different professions displayed their skills to benefit the Alex George Gregory Foulk Memorial Fund. The fund supports organizations and programs that provide assistance to individuals dealing with substance abuse.

While it was a friendly game, the competition side of the game was still evident.

Tony Dolce, senior class advisor, said the game has been a newly-created tradition in the past three years. The game acts as a fundraiser for the Battle of the Classes for the senior class.

“We kind of give it to the senior class because it’s their year,” Dolce said. “It’s kind of evolved into that.”

The police officers and teachers that play have a good time, and benefit a worthwhile cause at the same time, Dolce said, adding that the game is a popular part of the Battle of the Classes line-up.

“I think they enjoy it,” he said. “Every year, we go out and solicit the sign-ups for it, and we get teachers who are willing to do it. It’s for a great cause and they have some fun.”

In addition to the game, a basket raffle and a 50/50 raffle were held.

“All the proceeds are donated back to the Alex Foulk Foundation. It’s a fundraiser for us, but other classes are doing other things,” Dolce said. “There’s a spaghetti dinner on Saturday, other classes have had pancake breakfasts, they’re selling things and doing tag days. It’s part of the competition to see who can raise the most money, but all the money eventually goes to the cause.”

Dolce said Alex Foulk was a graduate of Jamestown High School, so it was only natural to have the Battle of The Classes benefit the fund created in his honor.

“Each year, we solicit ideas from the community,” he said. “With the situation in our community, with addiction and drugs and heroin, this seems to be a very good cause and it hits home to a lot of the kids in the community. We just thought this was a great idea to bring the community and the school together to fight something that’s been a problem in our community.”

Dolce also invited the community out to attend the Battle of the Classes on April 6 at 6:30 p.m. held in the McElrath Gymnasium. Tickets are $1 pre-sale from any JHS class officer or $2 at the door. For more information, call Tony Dolce at 483-3470 or email anthony.j.dolce@jamestown.wnyric.org.